Culture, Thought and Humanity (Master)

The purpose of the Culture, Thought and Humanity is to cultivate advanced expertise in humanistic ideas and their influence upon the process of cultural formation, their interrelationships, their presence in different cultures, and their dynamics in the processes of cultural development. The program also seeks to impart knowledge on the use of these ideas for dialogue between cultures. The knowledge should be broad, covering the development of the main ideas, concepts, and currents in the humanities and philosophy and its sub-disciplines, especially philosophy of culture, social, cultural, and philosophical anthropology, and social and political thought – in particular, philosophical and psychological conceptions of humanity, the place of the „person between nature and culture,” ways of understanding and defining culture, and criticism of culture. Students should be able to think critically, engage in thoughtful debate, use interdisciplinary approaches (cultural anthropology, cultural psychology, sociology of culture).

The main advantages of this type of education is the creation, on the basis of the peculiarities of the research characteristic of philosophy, an organized, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary image of the study of culture, sensitive to changes within culture, the problem of intercultural dialogue, the peculiarities of cultural heritage, as well as value conflicts and social processes conditioned by them. The result of this knowledge should be the formation of a competent critical understanding, critical thinking, and critical approach to contemporary civilizational processes, as well as the ability to promote this knowledge in cultural institutions and foster in them constructive skills of co-creation, dialogue, and conflict resolution. This could be used for employment in institutions related to education, media, and the arts, but also in non-governmental organizations working at the intersection of cultures, such as those providing assistance to refugees or resolving conflicts between ethnic and religious minorities.

The programme includes international cooperation, offering a palette of courses taught by teachers from both University of Wrocław and foreign centers (US, Carbondale). The motto is: “Thinking for a change”. The idea, then, is to shape a person who understands their cultural and civilizational environment and is oriented towards creating and co- creating processes of dialogue, mutual recognition, and understanding to improve the conditions for communication between people.

Motto: “Thinking for a change”

• By our programme we want to facilitate intercultural dialogue and thinking for a sustainable future.
• The programme explores philosophy’s ability to diagnose, reflect on and respond to contemporary crises and challenges.
• We seek to inspire reflection on humanity’s place in the broader planetary framework.
• The programme will prepare students for a career in NGOs, organisations dedicated to intercultural dialogue and humanitarian aid, media, cultural institutions at various levels.
• The studies, offered at a BA and MA level, will create a networking environment, enabling you to develop skills for the future.
• We will encourage you to explore philosophy as a method of relating to and communicating with others.

Candidate’s profile/background:

• The programme is addressed to candidates willing to engage in the future-oriented reflection about vital contemporary issues.
•  We invite everybody who likes to both think and act for a constructive change.
• The programme is addressed to candidates who enjoy a multicultural, diverse environment.